Shelf brackets and assemblies therewith



Sept. 21, 1965 H. s. PEACOCK SHELF BRACKETS AND ASSEMBLIES THEREWITHFiled Feb. 28, 1963 HENRY S. PEACOCK United States Patent 3,207,100SHELF BRACKETS AND ASSEMBLIES THEREWITH Henry S. Peacock, Lincoln, Ill.,assignor to Swain & Myers Inc., Decatur, 111., a corporation of DelawareFiled Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 261,733 4 Claims. (Cl. 108-152) Thisinvention, in general, relates to assemblies and brackets used thereinfor supporting shelves and the like. The invention pertains particularlyto improvements in bracket structures for locking the shelf on theassembly against upward displacement and also against lateraldisplacement in the plane of the shelf. It further pertains to shoulderstructures formed integrally in the bracket plate for imparting lateralstability to the bracket when it is mounted in a slotted support plate,channel, or the like.

Shelves may be supported in many different ways. This invention pertainsto the shelf support types known generally as adjustable shelf supportsby virtue of the fact that the shelf-supporting brackets may be placedin any one of a plurality of slots provided in verticallydisposedbracket-mounting plates, channels, or the like. The shelves may be wood,metal, plastic, or the like.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provideimprovements in shelf-supporting brackets for holding the shelf inposition on said brackets.

Another object is to provide on bracket structures pointed elementsadapted to penetrate shelves positioned on said brackets when the shelfis mounted thereon and thereby hold said shelf in position on saidbrackets.

Still another object is to provide improvements in shoulder structuresin an edge at the base of shelf brackets for imparting lateral stabilityto said brackets when they are mounted.

Briefly, the shelf brackets comprise a bracket plate having an upwardlyextending tab or ear on its outer end. The tab or ear fits against theouter edge of the shelf or in a hole, groove or the like in the bottomside of the shelf. This tab or ear has a sharply pointed portionextending toward the base of the bracket, the point adapted to penetrateand hold the shelf against upward and lateral displacement relative tothe bracket. A similar point may project upwardly from the upper,shelf-supporting surface to penetrate the bottom of the shelf.

The brackets are mounted on a vertical surface by means of slottedmounting bars, channels or the like. The base of the bracket has atleast two hook-like lugs or tabs which hook over the bottom edge of theslots of the mounting bars or channels. Lateral stability for thebracket is provided by shoulders projecting outwardly from each side ofthe bracket at the base thereof. These shoulders contact the mountingbar, channel or the like and impede pivoting of the bracket on thehook-like ears or tabs.

The invention, its objects and advantages will be further appreciated byreference to the preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated inthe drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a shelf and a fragment of a verticalsurface showing the shelf-supporting assembly in side elevation;

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are sectional views taken, respectively, on sections22 and 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, in fragment, taken on section 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a wood shelf 1 is mounted on a vertical panelor Wall 2 by means of two or more brackets 3 supported on U-channels 4.The U-channels 4- are rigidly mounted on the wall or panel 2 by screwsin the conventional manner.

Patented Sept. 21, 1965 ice The brackets 3 have on their base edge 5 apair of aligned, hook-like tabs or lugs 6 which fit in the U-channel 4through aligned, vertical slots 7 in the front face 8 of the U-channels.The lugs or ears 6 hook over the bottom edges of the slots 7 to supportremovably the brackets 3 in cantilever fashion on the U-channels 4 whenthe ears or tabs 6 are inserted into slots 7 and the brackets are pusheddownwardlyto hook the lugs or tabs 6 over the bottom edge of slots 7.The brackets are removed by raising them sufiiciently to allow lugs ortabs 6 to slide out of the slots 7. There may be two or three lugs ortabs 6.

The brackets 3 are stabilized against lateral movement by shoulders onthe base 5. These shoulders are formed by bending a section of thebracket plate 3 at the base 5 into an arch along base edge 5 projectinglaterally from plate 3, e.g., the triangular wall sections 9, 10 forminga half-pyramid with its base along base edge 5. The base of triangularwall section 10 projects laterally from one side of the bracket plate 3and bears against the front face 8 of the U-channel 4. It thereby blocksor stops lateral swinging of the bracket in the direction of the side ofthe bracket from which it projects. The base of the triangular section 9may also bear against face 8, or, in the illustrated case, may be cutslightly away from the face 8 to give the hook segments 11 of the tabsor lugs 6 a slight forward slope relative to the plane of base 5 tofacilitate mounting of the brackets in the U-channel slots 7.

The bracket 3 may have another arched segment in base edge 5, e.g.,another pair of triangular wall sections 12, 13 below the wall sections9, 10. The triangular wall sections 12, 13 form, like sections 9, 10, ahalfpyramid projecting from the opposite side of the bracket plate 3,the base of section 13 resting against the face 8 of U-channel 4 to givethe stabilizing function against lateral swinging of the bracket in thedirection from which sections 12, 13 project from the bracket plate 3.The base of section 12 is shaped similarly to the base of section 9.

The major portion of the upper edge of bracket 3 has a bent lip 14 lyingin the plane of shelf 1 and at right angles to the plane of the bracketplate 3. Lip 14 lies in the general plane of the upper edge of bracketplate 3. The lip may have holes therein in which screws 15 may bemounted, if desired, to rigidly attach shelf 1 on the brackets 3.

The shelf 1 is rigidly secured on brackets 3, however, by pointedstructures on the brackets, and the screws 15 may be omitted, ifdesired. The outer end of bracket 3 has an upstanding ear or tab 16having a rearwardly directed point or pin 17 extending toward base edge5. The ear or tab of each bracket may be situated against the outer edgeof shelf 1 or in a slot or hole in the undersurface of the shelf 1 nearbut spaced inwardly from the outer edge. Holes 18 are shown in theillustrated embodiment. The holes 18 (or outer edge or slots,aforedescribed) are situated so that the oint or pin 17 of each ear ortab 16 digs into a vertical side or surface of shelf 1 when the shelf isplaced on the brackets 3 as shown in phantom lines 19 in FIG. 1 andpushed into mounted position on the brackets. The inner edge of theshelf bearing against faces 8 of the U-channels 4 causes the shelf tomove outwardly as it is pushed lll'ltO mounted position to drive pins orpoints 17 into the shelf. This locks the outer edge of the shelf againstaccidental upward displacement and also against lateral slippage onbrackets 3. Furthermore, the upper edges of brackets 3 may each have apin or point 20 near the base edge 5, which point penetrates the shelfas it is mounted to further lock the shelf against lateral slippage onthe brackets.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantageswill be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages,the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purposeof illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A bracket for mounting shelves comprising a bracket plate with anupper edge on which a shelf may be supported, an ear on the outer end ofsaid plate projecting upwardly above said edge, and a sharp oint on saidear directed toward the opposite end of said plate, whereby said sharppoint may penetrate a shelf mounted on said bracket in a surface on saidshelf substantially at right angles to the plane of said shelf when saidsurface is pushed against said point.

2. A bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said edge has a lip lying ina plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said plate.

3. A shelf structure comprising a shelf supported on at least twobrackets, each bracket comprising a bracket late with an upper edge onwhich a shelf may be supported, an ear on the outer end of said plateprojecting upwardly above said edge,- and a sharp point on said eardirected toward the opposite end of said plate, each point penetratingsaid shelf in a surface on said shelf substantially at right angles tothe plane of said shelf.

4. A bracket for mounting shelves comprising a bracket plate, lug meanson the base edge of said plate for removably mounting said bracket in aslotted bracket-supporting member, an upwardly projecting ear on the endof said bracket plate opposite said base edge, and a sharp point on saidear directed toward said base edge, two segments of said plate adjacentthe base thereof being respectively shaped into a pair of triangularsections forming respective hollow half-pyramids projecting fromopposite sides of said plate with the base of said halfpyram id being aart of said base edge and forming an arch in said base edge, the base ofat least one of said triangular sections of each hollow half-pyramidlying in the plane of the base edge of said plate and forminglaterally-projecting shoulders adapted to bear against the face of saidslotted member.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 247,039 9/81Gerow 108-108 1,279,416 9/ 18 Osborne 248250 2,056,078 9/36 Slater108108 X 2,258,057 10/41 Johnson 248250 X 2,570,731 10/51 Susnow 2484272,833,420 5/58 Streater 248250 X 2,919,034 12/59 Levy 108-108 X2,936,904 5/60 Streater 248250 X 2,940,603 6/60 Reidmaier et al 1081522,971,657 2/61 Zadek 248-250 X 3,052,057 9/62 May et al 108-106 XFOREIGN PATENTS 313,350 5/56 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A BRACKET FOR MOUNTING SHELVES COMPRISING A BRACKET PLATE WITH ANUPPER EDGE ON WHICH A SHELF MAY BE SUPPORTED, AN EAR ON THE OUTER END OFSAID PLATE PROJECTING UPWARDLY ABOVE SAID EDGE, AND A SHARP POINT ONSAID EAR DIRECTED TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID PLATE, WHEREBY SAIDSHARP POINT MAY PENETRATE A SHELF MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET IN A SURFACEON SAID SHELF SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF SAID WHENSAID SURFACE IS PUSHED AGAINST SAID POINT.